Hanging shelf.



J. E. LEE.

HANGING SHELF.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1a, 1908.

938,596. Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w/r/vssscs. INVEN TOR 0% (5. [i 4m J%@/LM1M,Q%WM9CZ/M J. E. LEE.

HANGING SHELF.

APPLIOATION nun) SEPT. 1a, 1908.

938,596. Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

- 2 BHEE'IIS-SHEET 3. 2a E6 Piaf m FT IT YI'P U TI I if L Fiat/f? A TT'ORNES.

ANDREW. a. GRAHAM oo vuo'ro umocm uzns. msmmton. u. a

JOHN E. LEE, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

HANGING SHELF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented N 0v. 2, 1909.

Application filed September 18, 1908. Serial No. 453,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. Lnn, residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hanging Shelves, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a shelf for hanging on the wall from a picture molding or the like so as to be securely supported without necessitating a A stand or other rest to occupy floor space.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such a hanging shelf that the shelf member may be adjusted to any elevation desired and will remain in its adjustment with out liability of slippage.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide such a hanging shelf with adjustable brackets for supporting the shelf member, which may be of glass or other desirable material, the adjustment of the bracket permitting it to receive shelves of different width and hold them securely in place against accidental movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a hanging shelf of a construction whereby it will be capable of use in the corner of a room and at all times will present a neat appearance and will constitute a suitable article for use in parlors or wherever a neat and attractive appearance is of consideration.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the hanging shelf herein claimed, its parts and combinations of parts and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the different views; Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hanging shelf constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form thereof adapted for hanging in the corner of a room; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the corner shelf; Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the adjustable brackets of this invention; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the plane of line 55 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the plane of line 66 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail view of a companion bracket to be used with the bracket shown in Fig. 4 with the corner shelf as shown in Fig. 2; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the hooks for engaging the picture molding; and, Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are detail views of a modified form of hook for use with the corner shelf. I In these drawings 15 indicates hooks which engage the picture molding and which have metal rods 16 threaded in their downwardly extending ends, the formation of the hooks being such that the rods 16 stand vertical and close to the wall. On each rod 16 is adjustably mounted one or more brackets 17, according to the number of shelves to be supported therefrom, and each of these brackets is of a generally triangular shape as shown in Fig. 4, with an integral ear 18 at its rear upper end and a pivoted clutch member 19 at its lower end. The ear 18 is loosely mounted on the rod 16, and also the clutch member 19 is loose on said rod when in one position, but the opening through the clutch member contains a rib 20 to bite against the rod 16 when the clutch member is moved slightly to an inclined position, and as it is pivotally mounted on the bracket 17 by the connecting pin 21 the weight of the bracket and the parts supported thereby causes the clutch member to tend to an inclined position and bite against the rod 16 with the rib 20 so as to constitute a friction clutch and prevent the bracket moving from its adjusted elevation. This natural tendency of the clutch member to engage the rod 16 may be sufficient for all general purposes to lock the bracket in place, but as an additional precaution against slippage a set screw 22 is provided with its stem passing between the pivotal ears of the clutch member and threading into a boss 23 at the lower end of the bracket, the head of said set screw bearing against rounded shoulders 24: on the clutch member so that the tightening of the set screw causes the clutch member to swing on its pivotal connection with the bracket and tightly clamp its rib 20 upon the rod 16.

At its rear upper end the bracket 17 is provided with an upwardly projecting lug 25 to receive the rear edge of the glass or other shelf 26 which rests directly upon the bracket 17 for a short distance and then upon an extension arm 27 which is slidably adjustable on the bracket. The extension arm is preferably made of sheet metal, as shown, and bent to an inverted U-shape in cross section so as to fit the upper part of the bracket which is reduced in width to receive it, that the upper surface of the extension arm may lie in the same plane as the rear portion of the bracket on which the glass shelf rests and thereby afford a perfectly flat and evenly fitting bed for the shelf to rest upon. The front end of the extension arm has a lip 28 bent upwardly from its intermediate or top portion to form a stop or engaging lug for engaging the front edge of the glass shelf 26 and the rear end of the side parts of the extension arm are provided with downwardly extending ears 29 to receive a set screw 30 which has a nut 31 threaded on its end to clamp the ears 29 and the sides of the extension arm against the upper member of the bracket 17 and thus lock the extension arm in any adjustment. One of the side members of the extension arm 27 has an extension 32 at its front end which is bent over against the other side member to close the end of the extension arm and present a neat appearance.

When an ordinary shelf is to be located against a side wall of the room, or any other place except a corner, the rods 16 are engaged with the picture molding above by means of the hooks 15 on their ends and the brackets 17 are adjusted to the height desired for the shelves, there being as many of the rods as desired, but usually two will be sufficient, and they may be hung at the roper distance apart according to the length of the shelf to be used. The extension arms 27 are first moved to their extreme extended position and then the glass or other shelf is placed upon the brackets with its rear edge against the lugs 25 thereof, and finally the extension arms are moved inwardly until their stops 28 engage the front edge of the shelf, when the set screws 30 may be tightened to clamp the parts together. The set screws 22 may be tightened or not as the clutch member will effectively prevent the brackets slipping on the rods 16, though where the rods 16 are highly polished and the weight supported by the shelf is sufficient to warrant further precaution against slippage these set screws may be tightened to securely clamp the brackets on the rods.

When it is desired to support a hanging shelf in the corner of aroom it is preferred to substitute a double claw hook 33 for the hook 15, the engaging members of said hook 33 extending in different directions so as to engage both picture rails at their miter joint.

From the single rod 16 thus supported the brackets may be arranged in pairs, one palr of brackets being provided for each shelf. Each pair of brackets comprises one of the brackets 17 previously described and a modified form of bracket 17 which is the same as bracket 17, except that the ear 18 and the clutch member 19 are omitted and a pair of cars 18 are substituted therefor. The ears 18 are so located that they come between the ear 18 and the clutch member 19 of the bracket 17, as shown in Fig. 2, when the two brackets are mounted on the rod 16 with their supporting surfaces in the same horizontal plane. The brackets may be swung on the rods 16 to any angular position according to the angle of the corner of the room and the shelf 26 supported thereby will preferably be of a triangular shape and of the same angle as the corner of the room so as to rest upon the brackets along its rear edges as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. \Vith the corner shelves the lugs 25 are preferably dispensed with and the stops 28 are desirably bent to the angle of the front edge of the shelf, the rear corner of the shelf being slightly cut away to receive the rod 16 and thus enable its edges to lie close to the walls.

ith the hanging shelf of this invention a strong and rigld support may be provided which may be adjusted in its elevation and which may be varied in width to suit requirements. As it is suspended from the picture molding it does not occupy floor space and does not become a permanent fixture to the room so that it may be easily changed from place to place. The shelf and all of its parts are neat in appearance and are strong and durable in use, permitting of the various adjustments without liability of accidental slippage or breaking of parts.

lVha-t I claim as my invention is:

1. In a hanging shelf, a hooked rod adapted to be suspended from a picture molding, a shelf supporting bracket slidably mounted on the rod to be adjustable vertically thereon, a clutch member pivotally mounted on the bracket and engaging the rod, and a set screw on t-.-e bracket engaging the clutch member for causing it to clamp the rod.

2. A corner bracket, comprising a rod having means for suspending it from a picture molding, a pair of brackets loosely mounted on the rod to be capable of vertical adjustment thereon and angular adjustment with relation to each other, a clutch member on one bracket for engaging the rod, and a shelf supported by the brackets.

3. An adjustable shelf support, comprising a rod, a bracket slidably mounted on the rod, and a clutch member pivotally mounted ,on the bracket and having an opening to "loosely receive the rod and a rib 1n the opening for engaging the rod.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. LEE.

lVitnesses R. S. C. CALDWELL, ALMA A. KLUG. 

